1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a gaming machine and a control device, which are capable of collecting advertisement cost from sponsors, and a method of collecting the advertisement cost.
2. Discussion of the Background
Among conventional gaming machines, a gaming machine exists which pays out a large number of game media on condition that a predetermined hand is formed or that games are played for a predetermined number of times.
Such gaming machines are disclosed for example in U.S. Pat. No. 5,178,390, U.S. Pat. No. 5,820,459, U.S. Pat. No. 6,695,697, US 2003-0069073-A1, EP 1192975-A, U.S. Pat. No. 6,254,483, U.S. Pat. No. 5,611,730, U.S. Pat. No. 5,639,088, U.S. Pat. No. 6,257,981, U.S. Pat. No. 6,234,896, U.S. Pat. No. 6,001,016, U.S. Pat. No. 6,273,820, U.S. Pat. No. 6,224,482, U.S. Pat. No. 4,669,731, U.S. Pat. No. 6,244,957, U.S. Pat. No. 5,910,048, U.S. Pat. No. 5,695,402, U.S. Pat. No. 6,003,013, U.S. Pat. No. 4,283,709, EP 0631798-A, DE 4137010-A, GB 2326830-A, DE 3712841-A, U.S. Pat. No. 4,964,638, U.S. Pat. No. 6,089,980 U.S. Pat. No. 5,280,909, U.S. Pat. No. 5,702,303, U.S. Pat. No. 6,270,409, U.S. Pat. No. 5,770,533, U.S. Pat. No. 5,836,817, U.S. Pat. No. 6,932,704, U.S. Pat. No. 6,932,707, U.S. Pat. No. 4,837,728, EP 1302914-A, U.S. Pat. No. 4,624,459, U.S. Pat. No. 5,564,700, WO 03/083795-A1, DE 3242890-A, EP 0840264-A, DE 10049444-A, WO 04/095383-A1, EP 1544811-A, U.S. Pat. No. 5,890,963, EP 1477947-A, EP 1351180-A, and the like.
A payout of a large number of game media in such a gaming machine may be highly attractive to a player. However, on the standpoint of the casino, the payout means a return of a part of the profit and it could be a great burden on the casino.
On the other hand, many companies are carrying out active advertisement through various media and direct mails in order to promote their products. In a field of gaming machines, gaming machines having advertising functions are present as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,271,626 and JP-U 06-39062.
Advertisement generally costs the company very much, and therefore, the company tends to expect an advertising effect enough for the cost.
Against the above backgrounds, the present inventor has thought that addition of features in a timing of carrying out an advertisement and in a method of collecting the advertisement cost can increase the advertising effect of the advertisement by the company, in addition to reducing the above-described burden on the casino.
The present invention was made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a gaming machine, a gaming system, and a control device, which are capable of increasing the advertising effect of the advertisement by the company as well as reducing the financial burden on the casino, and a method of collecting the advertisement cost.
The contents of U.S. Pat. No. 5,178,390, U.S. Pat. No. 5,820,459, U.S. Pat. No. 6,695,697, US 2003-0069073-A1, EP 1192975-A, U.S. Pat. No. 6,254,483, U.S. Pat. No. 5,611,730, U.S. Pat. No. 5,639,088, U.S. Pat. No. 6,257,981, U.S. Pat. No. 6,234,896, U.S. Pat. No. 6,001,016, U.S. Pat. No. 6,273,820, U.S. Pat. No. 6,224,482, U.S. Pat. No. 4,669,731, U.S. Pat. No. 6,244,957, U.S. Pat. No. 5,910,048, U.S. Pat. No. 5,695,402, U.S. Pat. No. 6,003,013, U.S. Pat. No. 4,283,709, EP 0631798-A, DE 4137010-A, GB 2326830-A, DE 3712841-A, U.S. Pat. No. 4,964,638, U.S. Pat. No. 6,089,980 U.S. Pat. No. 5,280,909, U.S. Pat. No. 5,702,303, U.S. Pat. No. 6,270,409, U.S. Pat. No. 5,770,533, U.S. Pat. No. 5,836,817, U.S. Pat. No. 6,932,704, U.S. Pat. No. 6,932,707, U.S. Pat. No. 4,837,728, EP 1302914-A, U.S. Pat. No. 4,624,459, U.S. Pat. No. 5,564,700, WO 03/083795-A1, DE 3242890-A, EP 0840264-A, DE 10049444-A, WO 04/095383-A1, EP 1544811-A, U.S. Pat. No. 5,890,963, EP 1477947-A, and EP 1351180-A are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.